surface pattern designs

Category Archives: Clothes Hanger Hankers

I was at my friend’s house recently and saw a beautiful dusky pink embroidered satin fabric folded neatly on her kitchen side that made me stop whatever I was yapping about and exclaim “I love that!”. My friend unfolded this beautiful kimono in its full glory and I’ve hankered after it ever since.

Based on a 1920s Japanese design, Lunn Antiques have brought it back to life.

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Not a command I generally associate with handbags, that is until I stumbled upon a little shop on a birthday trip to Brighton where I found some gorgeous bags that spoke to me through their labels. However, Lie Down I Think I Love You is just a visitor to Brighton, their products are made in London and their ‘jewel-like’ shop you’ll find in Islington.

The bag that really caught my eye was in buttery soft pale blue re-worked vintage leather, large enough to hold all the useless crap that I insist on carting about with me and topped with a bright vintage scarf. It was less than half price in the sale so it soon became my birthday present.

Lie Down I Think I Love You have some real beauties of bags, like this Baby Bubble Pop at £255.

The scarves are interchangeable so you can change them to match your mood, the seasons or your outfit and there’s a lovely animation that shows you how to tie the scarf so it looks as good as when you bought it. Choose from a range of vintage scarves, all at £15, my favourite is the one with the cars…

This Hard Heart will make your’s melt, one side is patent and the other has been covered with vintage scarf fabric and will set you back £165.

They are more than I would normally spend on a bag if I’m honest, but the quality of workmanship is really good and I think they’re very unique with their vintage elements. Look out for their sales with most things reduced to 50% of the original price.

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A few months ago I wrote about the skirt that converted me to pleats. Alas, when I went back to buy it for a wedding I was going to, it had GONE and NO MORE were coming back in stock. I’ve been thinking about it ever since.

But last week when I walked into Ted Baker there was a dark green version hanging in front of me. It may have winked at me and lifted its hem a little…

Well that was all the encouragement I needed. Sold to the over-excited woman!

I’ll say it again, it’s not cheap at £139 but it is beautiful. A little tip though, walking upstairs in it while carrying a large box with both hands will not end well…

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I am a high heel type of girl, since I was fifteen and my mum caved in to my nagging I’ve worn them daily. I just can’t do flats, they make my heels feel all bruised and I trip over in them constantly. The width of my feet also mean that most of them cut in on the sides and squash my toes.

But a couple of weeks ago I found a special pair.

They aren’t cheap at £99 but they have a proper sole with a tiny heel unlike most cheaper ballerina pumps, so my heels don’t feel bruised after walking around all day. The sides encompass quite a lot of foot so they don’t cut in on my big or little toe joints and they make my wide feet look a normal width.

And did I mention they’re sparkly, covered all over in diamantes? They are like Dorothy’s shoes but in blue. Dune have done very well with these and if they could make them a bit cheaper they would be perfect.

I am on my way to being converted to flats. Are you most comfortable in flats or heels?

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For my Cycletta ride on Sunday I have a list of things I want to take with me and want a bag that I can hang on my bike rather than on my back. I never thought I’d want more saddlebags, I’ve carried a pair on my hips since I reached adulthood. But with the exercise I’ve done over the last six months hopefully I can start to minimise my physical ones and just have them on my bike.

I found them surprisingly expensive and a lot are pretty ugly too, but here is a beautiful one to start with.

Designed by trained saddler Christina Hamilton who qualified from the London College of Fashion earlier this year, this stunning design is from her final project. I am hankering after one so much. Christina won the Leathersellers’ Company Business Start Up Award and is setting up her own business so if anyone knows when and where they are available to buy, please let me know!

So until I can buy one of those, here are some other nice-looking ones.

This 1940s style pannier from Cyclechic looks just as good off the bike as on. It’s made from water-resistant woven pine and is £55.

This pannier inspired by vintage boat bags is so enormous I bet it would hold everything you could ever need. It also has a padlock so you can secure it to your bike. It converts to a shoulder bag and is made from waxed canvas in three colourways, at £44.99 it is also from Cyclechic.

The Liv Classic Large Handlebar Bag is made by bike brand Giant. It fits on the front under the handlebars which means you can keep an eye on it when you’re riding through town and it transfers to a handbag with a shoulder strap for when you’re on foot. I’m assuming it isn’t waterproof though as it comes with a raincover. The retail price is £44.99 but Wheelies are selling it for £40.49. It also comes in a dark green canvas with dark brown artificial leather trim and in a medium size.

Finally this shiny red handlebar bag from Cyclodelic is waterproof and coverts to a nice little clutch bag. It is handmade in London and costs £69.

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Even though it doesn’t feel like summer here in the UK yet, it’s the time of year to brave the shops in search of a swimsuit. No matter what your body is like, swimsuit shopping is generally a depressing experience but I may have found one that doesn’t induce you to tears in the strip-lit changing rooms.

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Not skinny jeans, they’re pretty unflattering on me and inspire people to exclaim “Isn’t your bum getting fat!”. Not skinny lattes, the caffeine in them has me bouncing off the walls. But THESE skinny heels…

I love the bright clashing colours that will go with so many outfits.

I love the strappiness of them and as they’re 100% leather there should be a good amount of give in them so they won’t cut in to your toes.

I love the £45 price tag.

I love the super skinny heels on them. Let’s look at the back…

Well done Topshop!

I don’t love that I’ll have to wait for the rain to stop so I can wear them though. I trash shoes but I’d try my best not to trash these so my skinny love could last the year.

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Yesterday after an unsuccessful trawl around my local shopping centre I was feeling disheartened. It would seem I’m in-between sizes as everything I tried was either too small or too big, the one dress that fitted was bright orange and I could foresee taunts involving Tango from my nearest and dearest.

When a sales assistant came and asked me if I was ok, as I’d been there “an awfully long time”, I decided it was time to head home. On my drive back I passed Mela Mela Vintage and popped in. They’ve got such a beautiful range of vintage clothes and although it’s always pot luck what sizes there are, they have some gorgeous stock.

First on my list of hankers is this red and white long 1950s sundress.

Such a beautiful cut that frankly left everything I’d seen on the high street in the shade and at £130 it’s a lot less than many dresses on the high street. At first I thought the print was of teacups with steam coming out but on closer inspection I saw they were actually fountains.

Although I loved it, I didn’t get it as I just don’t wear long dresses and after toying with the idea of getting it altered to be shorter, I decided that would be an awful waste of such beautiful material.

Also in red and white was this stunning 1950s crepe dress with embroidery and cut away detail. You’d have to wear a slip underneath this but a blue or yellow one would look great, or even a bright clashing pink.

At £175 it is a little more, but it’s in such good condition and still has the original belt.

I left with this plastic bunting style necklace from the 60s/70s which I picked from a lovely display of red, white and blue jewellery in one of the many display cabinets.

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I’ll be honest with you. I can see the appeal of dogs and I really love the idea of them, but when I’m faced with a real dog I’m scared. Very scared. I always have been and unfortunately think I always will be. It doesn’t matter what breed or what size, until I get to know a dog I will be scared stiff of it.

When I was a kid I used to beg our next door neighbour to let her dogs come and play with me in our garden and then I’d remember how scary they were and spend the rest of the afternoon at the top of the climbing frame too frightened to come down, while two shih-tzus bounced up and down below me. My brother would be rolling around on the floor crying tears of laughter at how pathetic and deluded I was.

Things haven’t changed that much. If I’m on my bike and I see a dog off its leash, I’ll get off my bike and push it along until I’ve passed the dog. My husband will cycle on, shaking his head in despair and calling out a gentle reminder that the toy poodle busily sniffing another dog’s bum isn’t interested in chasing me.

These Man’s Best Friend scarves by Lisa Bliss at The Graduate Collection aren’t scary at all. In fact these rainbow dachshunds couldn’t be scary if they tried. Look how sweet they look with their little stumpy legs.

The dachshund scarves are available with nine dachshunds widthways in mink or rainbow or with one big dachshund lengthways in turquoise or pink.

As the dachshund is long , the boston terrier is square and so is Lisa’s boston terrier scarf. Unlike real boston terriers you can choose from pink, yellow or green. I like that one head is picked out in a different colour.

Lisa’s scarves are 100% silk, manufactured in the UK and are £90 from the Graduate Collection who champion new and emerging designers in the UK. There are also six fox head scarves to choose from.

Until I can get over my fear of dogs, one of these beautiful scarves can be my dog substitute.